What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientIsopentyldiol
Humectant
Sodium Stearate
CleansingPropanediol
Solvent
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
BHT
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Oligopeptide-68
Bleaching
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Oleate
CleansingDisodium EDTA
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Isopentyldiol, Sodium Stearate, Propanediol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Caffeine, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Sorbitol, Phospholipids, BHT, Tocopherol, Oligopeptide-68, Glycine Soja Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Oleate, Disodium EDTA, CI 42090, CI 19140
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientSodium Stearate
CleansingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Oleth-2
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Lens Esculenta Seed Extract
Skin ProtectingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 47005
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butylene Glycol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Sodium Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Oleth-2, Stearic Acid, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Rice Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lens Esculenta Seed Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 47005, CI 42090
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane belongs to the siloxanes and silicones classes. It is synthetically created and has a waxy composition.
This ingredient is a humectant and emollient, meaning it helps hydrate the skin. Humectants draw moisture to your skin, while emollients prevent moisture from escaping.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCi 42090 is a synthetic dye created from petroleum. It is used to give a bright blue color to cosmetics, medicine, and food.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium stearate is the sodium salt of stearic acid.
The structure of sodium stearate makes it both a cleanser and emulsifier. As a cleanser, it helps dissolve dirt, oil, and other pollutants. As an emulsifier, it helps prevent ingredients from separating. This adds stability to the formula.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
